When It's One of Your Own by zibbssecretlovechild
by molly2012
Summary: Three coworkers - two men, one woman. One man is in love with her, the other man wants her. How far will he go to take what he believes should be his? Edited and uploaded for zibbssecretlovechild - story is not mine!
1. Chapter 1

_zibbssecretlovechild was having problems uploading this, so I've done it as a favour. The story is not mine! I just did a tiny bit of editing on request...:)._

_I'm sure reviews would be greatly appreciated, and I'll pass on any that I get (as well as follows / favourites). _

* * *

Gibbs was in the bullpen watching his team as they stood in front of the plasma, his eyes drawn to the youngest yet most deadly team member. Her dark eyes were determinedly glued to the screen, her sharp mind processing and storing all of the information being presented. They were currently reviewing cold cases, a decidedly boring aspect of their working life that, fortunately, they only had to put up with when the crime rate was low. Tony flanked her left side, his hand an inch or so away from hers and their shoulders almost touching. Gibbs could tell that Tony had to make the effort not to actually touch her. The younger man's attraction for the Israeli irked Gibbs, probably because the former marine had it bad for her himself.

He, however, had restraint. He wasn't always crowding her, touching her, constantly trying to talk to her. No, he was more the sit back and admire type. He was waiting for the day that the stunning woman that held his heart showed him a glimmer of hope, some kind of sign that the feeling was mutual. He knew it wasn't a likely possibility but – hell. A man could dream. He was, however, unwilling to jeopardize the dynamic of the team by making a move on her only to be rebuked. That would ultimately lead to her being uncomfortable and even, possibly, changing teams, and that would only happen over his dead body. With that in mind, he had set himself up with a front row seat at the spectacle of his senior field agent's not-so-subtle attempts at flirting.

But Leroy Jethro Gibbs was no fool, and he saw that it ran deeper than that for Tony. He wouldn't say it was love but there was….something. Something in the other man's eyes when he was around Ziva. What that something was Gibbs couldn't discern. Lust definitely played a part, as did attraction, but there was something else. Something that Gibbs found unsettling, yet he couldn't put his finger on it.

Tim, who was stood on Ziva's right side, didn't cause Gibbs any worry. He could tell that the younger agent's feelings for her were strictly that of an older brother towards a sister, albeit a sister who could undoubtedly kick his arse if she so chose. Despite that, there were still instances were he would step in and take care of her, particularly when Tony said something overly offensive or lewd. The big brother in him would make always an appearance, fighting his 'sister's' corner. This was usually rewarded with a bright smile and a quick squeeze when nobody was looking from the woman in question.

Such a situation was taking place now, right in front of him.

'' So Zee-vah, you think the crazy porn star brother is involved in this?"

"Yes Tony, his alibi is... shirty?"

"Shifty. His alibi is shifty", the senior field agent corrected. "However, I find it interesting that you're thinking of shirts in relation to a porn star. Is our little Israeli having naughty thoughts?"

He paused, enjoying himself.

"Perhaps the removal of shirts? Maybe if you interrogate him, he'll show you a few moves….."

This train of thought was abruptly ended by Tim slapping the back of Tony's head hard, a move usually reserved for Gibbs, but which caused a smirk to cross Ziva's face.

''Thank you, Tim".

Gibbs decided to end this before it escalated and before he himself was tempted to throw another headslap - or a right hook - Tony's way, and a quick "Ziver's right, gear up", was all that was necessary to end the spat before it had properly begun. His team was well trained, and they wasted no time in gathering the required equipment and then heading for the elevator.

Once they were all inside, Gibbs made sure to stand next to Ziva. It had got to the stage where he would take any closeness he could that would still be considered friendly and not over the top. Glancing at her, he was satisfied that Tony had not really irked her too much, and he forced himself to start concentrating on the case in hand. After all, he knew fine well that tonight she would be occupying his thoughts – as she did most nights. Best to keep it professional here and stop thinking of her inappropriately when he should be thinking of other things. If he didn't, he would be distracted and then mistakes would be made. Worse still, his already-weakening resolve would crumble even further. He didn't want to end up making a move.

* * *

Ziva's gut had been right about the porn star brother. After the team had turned up at his home he had panicked and grabbed a kitchen knife, swinging it round wildly in the direction of the team. Before anyone else could react properly, Ziva darted forward and grabbed the hand holding the knife, twisting it around in such a way that the man cried out in pain and dropped the knife to the floor. A swift kick to the groin, and he was on his knees.

Despite knowing how capable she was and how many of these situations she had dealt with before, Gibbs thought his heart was about to stop, and he only started breathing normally again when he was sure the assailant wouldn't be getting up again anytime soon. He was terrified that she would be hurt, and hurt grievously enough that she would be taken away from him. It was a feeling that became stronger every time they encountered a dangerous situation like this, and suddenly he was beginning to feel like he couldn't carry on like that.

He had to speak to her.

Tell her how he felt.

Get some of his feelings off his chest.

It might be the most embarrassing, stupid thing he had ever done. On the other hand, it might be the best.

At least then, she would know – even if she rejected him. And if she ever changed her mind, he would be ready and waiting.


	2. Chapter 2

Tony Dinozzo watched from the observation room as his partner interrogated the suspect that she had single-handedly brought down. He loved watching her, loved the way she held herself and the way she used her body to radiate confidence and self-assurance.

In fact, he loved everything about her.

The way she spoke, with a slightly exotic accent that, to his ears, sounded like silk from her tongue. The way in which she always mixed her idioms -although he was beginning to believe that she did this on purpose so that he would correct her. And the way that she had of sneaking up on him from behind and whispering directly into his ear. When she did that, he never actually heard what she said. He only felt the brush of her hair by his shoulder, the warmth of her breath against his skin, and he always had to dig deep for whatever self-control he could find in order to not to do something that he might regret. He tried to save it for his fantasies, which usually involved taking her there and then wherever they happened to be. Elevator. Lab. Bullpen. He ached for her in a way that was unusual for him, in fact it was a completely foreign feeling. It was like a dark, murky stream, slowly but surely polluting him, eating away at his resolve and his restraint.

Urging him to do something, anything, to finally have her.

He was tired of watching, waiting, hoping...although he was well aware that she did not want anything but a professional relationship with him. She had made that clear right from the beginning, had even told him so outright on one occasion, and he now knew her well enough to realise that she meant every word.

She would never willingly engage in any kind of romantic activity with him. He knew that.

But recently he had being having disturbing thoughts as to how he could change that particular predicament. He always urged these thoughts away, pushing them down back into the deepest, darkest recesses of his mind where they belonged. But no-one can push feelings of such intensity away forever. Eventually those feelings start to overpower them, consume them, take them over completely, and, sooner or later, they snap.

Everyone has a snapping point.

And DiNozzo was fast approaching his.


	3. Chapter 3

For the first time in a long time, Leroy Jethro Gibbs was unsure of what to do.

Standing outside Ziva's door with flowers and a bottle of wine, he felt as nervous as he had done the first time that he had waited for a girl, all those years ago. It didn't help that he was fully aware of how strange the sight would look to anyone that knew him. Gibbs, flowers, wine...those three things did not generally fit together in most people's imaginations. And if anyone he knew saw him at Ziva's with them, it would probably induce a premature heart attack.

Admittedly, he wasn't usually a man who bothered with such things. But in his mind, Ziva wasn't just some typical woman that he fancied going on a date with. She was special. And if he was going to do this, he was going to do it properly and make a good impression. Hell, they had already worked together long enough for her to have formed an opinion of him - but that was professional. That was work.

This was something altogether different.

But he was still nervous, and not convinced that he was doing the right thing. He'd feel a fool if he was to knock on her door, ask her out and put everything on the line, only for her to turn around and tell him she didn't like him in that way and that he was wasting his time. Even the thought made him cringe. And the more he thought about it, the closer he came to talking himself out of it. After all, Ziva deserved someone a lot better than him - and a lot younger than him. She could go out with anyone she wanted. Why would she want him?

He should probably just turn round and go home. After standing outside her door for twenty-three minutes, he still hadn't gathered the courage to knock. That alone should be telling him something. But, equally, he knew that he couldn't go on like this. He had allowed himself to fall in love with her, and he needed her to know it.

He had never felt so conflicted in his life.

He ached for her with every fibre of his body. What sleep he got now was filled with dreams of her, of the life they could have together, of how he would love her like he'd never loved before. Of how he'd finally be able to tell her those three words that were getting harder and harder to swallow. I love you. It was beginning to physically hurt him when he had to force the words down after every phone call to her, after every conversation. The words were on the tip of his tongue and in his mind constantly. Ziva was beginning to consume his every moment, waking and sleeping.

His Ziver.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't realise that she was right next to him. Still breathing hard from running, she had already spoken his name three times and was beginning to panic. He was standing on her doorstep, holding the most gorgeous bouquet that she had ever seen, and a bottle of red wine that she knew carried a hefty price tag - he was obviously heading somewhere special. But she had never seen him so oblivious to his surroundings, and it was really starting to worry her. The only explanation that she could think of was that a case had come up while he was on his way to a date, and it was that which was occupying his mind.

That thought was like a sharp dagger to the gut. She'd secretly harboured feelings for the man before her for years, but she had always hid behind her Mossad mask, trying not to let anything show. She pretended to Tony that she dated but the reality was that she didn't. There wouldn't be any point. No man that she met could match up to the one that she wanted, needed, loved. It wouldn't be fair on them or on her. Instead she filled her time with mundane things to keep her occupied; running, cooking, cleaning, outings with Abby or McGee.

It never seemed to work very well.

Despite all her efforts, he was on her mind constantly. She tried to push thoughts of him away but he was always there, his presence burrowing further and further into her soul, latching on, digging deeper and deeper until she wasn't herself if she wasn't by his side. She longed to be with him all the time, at home and in bed as well as at work, but now she realised that it would never happen. The sight before her told her that he was taken. And, judging by the gifts, he was treating her like a queen.

Gibbs finally registered her presence, and, when he turned, he was faced with her right there next to him. Her face looked resigned, stoic, and he couldn't understand why.

"Do we have a case, Gibbs?"

At first he didn't answer. He was too busy memorizing every detail of the image before him. A fine shimmer of perspiration coated her golden skin, giving her a glow that he found it all to easy to imagine in a more intimate setting. Skin-tight black leggings accentuated the perfect shape of her legs, and a tight black vest top under the baggy t-shirt showed off her curves to perfection. His eyes slowly rose to meet hers, ice blue meeting warm brown. Uncertainty, hope, and something else swam through the blue, while caramel sparks hinted at the feelings behind the dark shield of the brown.

"Nope".

His answer was simple, and he didn't immediately elaborate as to why he was there.

Confusion registered in Ziva's eyes, and Gibbs didn't miss it.

"Came to see you."

She blinked in surprise, and her eyes flew to the gifts he was holding. They couldn't be...No. They couldn't.

"I hope you haven't being waiting long, you obviously have somewhere else to be."

Her comment made Gibbs breathe in sharply as he suddenly realised the cause of the confusion. Damn it.

She believed he had just called in for something work-related. She thought that he was on his way to see a different woman.

Ziva obviously didn't - couldn't - see herself as others saw her. She didn't know what effect she had on the majority of men that came into contact with her. She didn't know the effect that she had on him.

Well, it was now or never.


	4. Chapter 4

"Nowhere else to be. Maybe we can go inside?"

Gibbs wanted to do this somewhere a little more private, rather than the hallway of her apartment block where anyone could listen in. He would be embarrassed enough if Ziva rejected him, but it would be ten times worse if half the building witnessed his humiliation. However, he was hoping that he had read her face, and the emotions dancing in her eyes, correctly...if so, he might not have too much to worry about.

Or maybe he had got it all wrong.

After all, Ziva was an enigma. She could be unpredictable, and she was capable of surprising everyone by reacting in a completely different way to what was expected of her. But then, that was one of the things that had made him fall for her. Looking at her now, he felt overwhelmed by the depth and strength of his feelings for her, and he found that suddenly he wanted - needed - to let it all out. To tell her how he felt, that he wanted to love her, cherish her, worship her. And that he wanted to do that for as long as she would have him.

Ziva's face was a picture of confusion. Conflicting emotions danced behind the shadows of her eyes, trying to fight their way past the guards she had put up in the hope of maintaining at least some control. But now hope was bubbling in her chest, and she wasn't sure she wanted or needed those protective layers anymore. He had said he had nowhere else to be. So that must mean that he was here to see her. With flowers. And wine.

Perhaps it wasn't one sided after all?

Rather than reply to Gibbs and risk her voice shaking, she reached her arm around him to unlock her door, pushing it open and indicating for him to go in first. He complied, taking a seat on the arm of the couch and setting the flowers and wine down on the coffee table. Watching her intently as she locked her door, he sensed the anticipation and hope that seemed to be emanating from her body. The same emotions were currently flowing through him. As she turned around he noticed that she was beginning to relax, a small smile playing on her lips, and she was the first to break the silence.

"So, Gibbs..."

"Ziver".

Her smile widened at the use of her nickname - the one that only he used.

"Why are you here?" It was a direct question as she looked straight into his eyes, searching for any sign of lying or evasion - not that she thought Gibbs would ever do either.

"Tired of hiding from you."

Confusion once again spread across her face, one eyebrow furrowed in the adorable manner that he found so endearing.

"Hiding from me? You are right there."

"Not literally. Meant the way I feel about you."

Whilst speaking he'd moved towards her until he was directly in front of her, close enough to feel her warm breath on his face. He ached to taste those lips but, true to form, he waited. He knew that it wouldn't really be up to him.

"And how do you feel about me?"

It was the question he had been expecting, wanting, and dreading all at the same time.

"Love you, Ziver."

He said it so simply, like it was normal, an everyday occurrence, and a weight lifted from his chest. He'd done it. He'd finally told her. The ball was in her court now.

Before he really knew what was happening, her arms were wrapped around his neck, her soft lips attacking his own with such a passion that he temporarily forgot how to breathe. Molding his lips to hers, he tried to put everything he'd being feeling into this, their first kiss. And it was a first kiss that exceeded even his wildest dreams. It was perfect.

She was perfect.

Her tongue darted out and ran along the seam of his lips, asking for entry, entry he willingly granted before their tongues tangled together, neither able to get enough of the others taste, of the feel of the other. They'd waited so long for this, each believing this moment would never come, that they needed this moment to play out as long and as perfectly as possible.

Finally they both pulled away, resting their foreheads against one another. Ziva's eyes were still closed, and her arms still around Gibbs's neck, both of them unwilling to let go.

"I love you too."

These whispered words against his lips exploded through his mind, warming him from the inside out, lighting up his entire being. He finally felt complete again. Wrapping his arms around her back and gently pulling her closer again, he took her mouth with his own in a worshipping kiss that was tender and so very full of love. He thought that he could spend the rest of his life kissing her like this, and he realised that he never wanted to leave her. He wanted to stay forever, and love her forever. But, for now, they had that night.

They'd finally found each other. He was finally whole.


End file.
